Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, 2010-2014

The City of Wausau Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan is intended to provide guidance to City staff and officials in the acquisition, development, and programming of parks, playgrounds, and special recreation areas throughout the City. To achieve this end, the plan focuses on the adequacy of existing facilities and opportunities for future recreational facilities.

Following adoption of this report by the Common Council and approval by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Wausau qualified for various recreation and natural resources grant-in-aid programs from the State and Federal governments. The qualification period for these program aids extended for five years from the date of adoption of the plan. These grant-in-aid programs were intended to assist local communities with implementation of park improvement programs.

Physical planning issues are explored in two broad categories: 1)Those with a primary impact on a neighborhood basis and 2) Those which are city-wide in scope. Neighborhood planning was considered appropriate since most of the City’s park facilities have been developed to focus on small neighborhood service areas. City-wide planning is required for the development of riverfront improvements, downtown enhancements, community parks, and sports complexes, all of which have received considerable public attention in recent years. Recreation programming is an issue that has previously not been an integral part of recreation planning in the City. An analysis of program needs is appropriate at this time.